There's a lot to do in the New Forest; go rambling, take to the cycling trails with your bike, or do a bit of animal spotting. The forest is home to horses, donkeys, pigs and plenty of birds, but one of the animals people most want to see are the forest's population of deer.

The four most common types of deer you might spot are red, fallow, sika and roe deer. New Forest is home to a fifth type, the muntjac deer, but they're a lot less common. You're most likely to see them in the early morning or at dusk, and the best time of year is during mating season, which is typically in Autumn.

So if you consider yourself a bit of a deer expert, do you have any tips for doing a bit of deer spotting in the New Forest? Where are the best locations to catch a herd?

Arguably the easiest place to see deer is at the Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary. This is a specially built viewing platform that allows you to spot the herds of deer that congregate in the meadow below. Between April and September the deer are also fed by rangers, which increases your chances of seeing them here.

You might also want to consider going on a Deer Safari. This is a tractor tour that makes its way through Burley Park and claims to frequently have herds of deer grazing nearby. They have a herd of red deer that live in Burley Park, but other kinds do come by from time to time.

Otherwise, the New Forest website says the best places for spotting deer are the quieter parts of the forest, but if you're lucky you might catch them grazing by the roadside or trails - some people even catch a glimpse while they're passing through the New Forest on a train. If you're wanting to catch deer in a slightly more secluded spot, you're best to find somewhere quiet and hidden away where you can just watch and wait.

Do you have any other tips for spotting deer in the New Forest or any good spots you've seen them before? Let us know your best tips in the comments.